anyone sailed celebrity? ship:century

[lafayettedvm]

we have friends who have booked a cruise on celebrity century, and they want us to go. we usually stick to carnival. i was looking for comments on how this line and/or ship compares to carnival ships we have been on.

 

we are young cruisers who like to lay around and enjoy people watching around different decks, watching movies in the room, sleeping late and doing "nothing". we like carnival because the ship is upbeat, younger cruisers, not to formal, close to home.

 

any comments?

[travelntreats]

we have friends who have booked a cruise on celebrity century, and they want us to go. we usually stick to carnival. i was looking for comments on how this line and/or ship compares to carnival ships we have been on.

 

we are young cruisers who like to lay around and enjoy people watching around different decks, watching movies in the room, sleeping late and doing "nothing". we like carnival because the ship is upbeat, younger cruisers, not to formal, close to home.

 

any comments?

Wow... are you in for a major difference if you liked CCL so much. A completely different experience based on my cruising with them. More laid back...more refined....personally I feel better service. You will not see the younger crowds that you have on CCL as well. Entertainment below that of Carnival or RCL. Food... always a subjective subject...but I felt Carnivals food was better than that on my Celebrity sailings. JMHO and I am sure others will add to these thoughts.

[DGP1111]

Carnival Platinum cruiser here, who has also been on Celebrity Century.

I was completely blown away by that ship - loved it, loved it, loved it. :D

For me, it was the best general dining room food I've had on any of more than 50 cruises, and their supper club (Murano) went a step beyond.

No matter what you choose, have a great vacation!! :) :)

[travelntreats]

Carnival Platinum cruiser here, who has also been on Celebrity Century.

I was completely blown away by that ship - loved it, loved it, loved it. :D

 

For me, it was the best general dining room food I've had on any of more than 50 cruises, and their supper club (Murano) went a step beyond.

 

:) :)

I agree... the alternative dining on Celebrities ships (I have sailed on the Century, Galaxy, Millenium, Infinity and recently a 2 night Solstice sailing) are outstanding. It was the main dining room that just did not seem to have the quality that CCL provides. Now regarding presentation and overall relaxing and elegant cruise experience aboard a Celebrity ship compared to Carnival.... Celebrity wins hands down in my eyes. I can pretty much sail on any cruisline as they are similiar in many ways, and some just seem to have some strengths that others don't and visa versa. Alot of my decisions regarding what cruiseline/ship depend on the itinerary and the budget I am trying to maintain.

[Rouge Wave]

I was on the Celebrity Millennium (I know not Century, but the issues I bring up I fear are fleet wide and not limited to just a ship) a bit over a month ago, the food was just awful. Food went from bland to tasteless and devoid of seasoning. The activities very much catered to the retired many years ago, senior set. The energy level on the ship be it day or night, was very low.

It was a 14 night cruise which does explain the over all much older demographic. However, the extremely poor quality of the food offered at the Buffet and the Dining Room was inexcusable. There is a lot of grumbling the bad food is not just limited to the Millennium and is a serious issue across the Celebrity fleet.

Unlike other cruise lines where the late seating in the Dining Room gets booked first, often on Celebrity ships it is the Early seating that gets booked first. Take from that what you will.

All that said, the staff was great, top-notch service. The extra fee, alternative dining was very good.

If it is just a 7 night cruise I’d say go for it, in particular if the price is right. A longer cruise, I’d make sure the itinerary was one you really really really wanted to do.

[jaycee200]

We went on the Celebrity Century a few years ago. If you are looking for very mellow, laid back cruise, this might be the one for you :)

 

The dining experience was different than Carnival, RC or NCL, as it was more "upscale/white gloved" and a little more hoity toity (is that spelled right?? ;) )

 

Anyway, on our sailing, it was definitely an "older crowd", which isnt a BAD thing, as everyone had wonderful stories to share, etc.

 

Each line has its pluses and minuses... we are still working our way through trying each cruiseline at least once, but port choices and cost have us repeating cruiselines at time...

 

I think the Century would be a good choice if you are into "food" and a more "elegant" dining experience with an older clientele.

[cruisin4fun323]

We cruised on Century a couple years ago and absolutely LOVED IT!!!!! It is not as rowdy as Carnival but we managed to have a lot of fun!!! We livened things up where ever we went. The food is AWESOME!!!! They passed out little snacks in the casino at night i.e. mini cheeseburgers they were tiny with tom, lettuce and a pickle slice, little smokies wrapped in crescent I can't remember the rest but it was a nice surprise. Service on Carnival has always been great for us but for some reason it is actually better on Celebrity in some ways. It could be that we had just the best Dinner service we have ever had and that makes a difference. I say go for it and you won't regret. We of course came back to Carnival because we missed the excitement.

[MiddleEarth]

Haven't done as many cruises as some of the others who have posted but I can't help but posting on Carnival vs Celebrity.

 

We cruised on Carnival Destiny between 2 cruises with Celebrity. The Galaxy (sister ship in same class as Century) and Infinity (Millenium class.)

 

I have absolutely no interest in ever sailing with Carnival again. The food in the casual/buffet areas was no better than Shoney's restaurant. The crew were more interested in chatting amongst themselves than doing the work of clearing tables.

 

Food in the Destiny's main dining room was good. The waiters put on something of a show most nights, and service was better than in the casual/buffet areas but I found the attention to detail, and the personal service of the wait staff on Galaxy and Inifinity was excellent.

 

One morning on Destiny, heading from my cabin to breakfast at 8:00 AM, I saw dirty dishes and empty beer containers sitting on one of the fire extinguisher cabinets by the main elevators obviously dropped there by some partiers. Those dirty plates and the like were still sitting there five hours later at 1:00 PM. That may seem to be an extreme example but slow recovery and cleanup was epidemic on Destiny. It seemed to me that the crew just didn't care.

 

The contrast in service, obvious care and attention to details between Celebrity and Carnival (at the very least in the case of the Carnival Destiny) is vast. Dishes and empty coffee cups etc disappear almost magically on Celebrity. Tables are cleared quickly and in the casual/buffet areas, once you have loaded your tray, it seems as soon as you turn around someone will take it from you and escort you to a table.

 

I am frankly amazed at the number of people who post such glowing reports about Carnival. For my part, it is highly unlikely that I will ever open my wallet for a Carnival cruise again.

 

The opinions expressed are my own. Your mileage may vary.

[travelntreats]

Haven't done as many cruises as some of the others who have posted but I can't help but posting on Carnival vs Celebrity.

 

We cruised on Carnival Destiny between 2 cruises with Celebrity. The Galaxy (sister ship in same class as Century) and Infinity (Millenium class.)

 

I have absolutely no interest in ever sailing with Carnival again. The food in the casual/buffet areas was no better than Shoney's restaurant. Food is so subjective, but I actually found the casual buffet much better and a wider variety of choices on CCL The crew were more interested in chatting amongst themselves than doing the work of clearing tables. Agree with you there....

 

Food in the Destiny's main dining room was good. The waiters put on something of a show most nights, and service was better than in the casual/buffet areas but I found the attention to detail, and the personal service of the wait staff on Galaxy and Inifinity was excellent. It seems to me in my Celebrity cruises that the staff takes more interest in their work and taking care of their guests than on CCL (probably will get flamed for that remark from the CCL cheerleaders ! :eek:)

 

One morning on Destiny, heading from my cabin to breakfast at 8:00 AM, I saw dirty dishes and empty beer containers sitting on one of the fire extinguisher cabinets by the main elevators obviously dropped there by some partiers. Those dirty plates and the like were still sitting there five hours later at 1:00 PM. That may seem to be an extreme example but slow recovery and cleanup was epidemic on Destiny. It seemed to me that the crew just didn't care. Again I agree... and whats worse is when I see a staff member just walk past the messes left in the hallway i.e. empty trays of food, glasses, etc. Perhaps it just wasn't THEIR JOB ???

 

The contrast in service, obvious care and attention to details between Celebrity and Carnival (at the very least in the case of the Carnival Destiny) is vast. Dishes and empty coffee cups etc disappear almost magically on Celebrity. Tables are cleared quickly and in the casual/buffet areas, once you have loaded your tray, it seems as soon as you turn around someone will take it from you and escort you to a table. Celebrity is no longer using the trays... I personally find that a poor decision on their part. Ever try balancing a sald bowl, food plate and a drink ??? But they do get those tables cleared off quickly... sometimes too quick if you step away for a refill or dessert and were not quite finished with your first plate... watch out !

 

I am frankly amazed at the number of people who post such glowing reports about Carnival. For my part, it is highly unlikely that I will ever open my wallet for a Carnival cruise again. And I expect the cheerleaders will be out in full force on this comment. But you know... it's your opinion and I hold no grudge... Carnival is not meeting everyones expectations vs. other cruiselines... thats why there are a wide variety of cruiselines to choose from ! :cool:

 

The opinions expressed are my own. Your mileage may vary.

 

May all your cruises be filled with met or exceeded expectations ! :D

[Rouge Wave]

Haven't done as many cruises as some of the others who have posted but I can't help but posting on Carnival vs Celebrity.

 

We cruised on Carnival Destiny between 2 cruises with Celebrity. The Galaxy (sister ship in same class as Century) and Infinity (Millenium class.)

 

I have absolutely no interest in ever sailing with Carnival again. The food in the casual/buffet areas was no better than Shoney's restaurant. The crew were more interested in chatting amongst themselves than doing the work of clearing tables.

 

Food in the Destiny's main dining room was good. The waiters put on something of a show most nights, and service was better than in the casual/buffet areas but I found the attention to detail, and the personal service of the wait staff on Galaxy and Inifinity was excellent.

 

One morning on Destiny, heading from my cabin to breakfast at 8:00 AM, I saw dirty dishes and empty beer containers sitting on one of the fire extinguisher cabinets by the main elevators obviously dropped there by some partiers. Those dirty plates and the like were still sitting there five hours later at 1:00 PM. That may seem to be an extreme example but slow recovery and cleanup was epidemic on Destiny. It seemed to me that the crew just didn't care.

 

The contrast in service, obvious care and attention to details between Celebrity and Carnival (at the very least in the case of the Carnival Destiny) is vast. Dishes and empty coffee cups etc disappear almost magically on Celebrity. Tables are cleared quickly and in the casual/buffet areas, once you have loaded your tray, it seems as soon as you turn around someone will take it from you and escort you to a table.

 

I am frankly amazed at the number of people who post such glowing reports about Carnival. For my part, it is highly unlikely that I will ever open my wallet for a Carnival cruise again.

 

The opinions expressed are my own. Your mileage may vary.

 

I have been on enough Celebrity cruises over the years to know they ARE NOT what they once were, and not in a good way.

What Carnival offers is a great bang for the buck. VALUE. Celebrity at one time offered style, class, service , but what they now offer is a hollowed out version of such.

I am not a cheerleader of any cruise line, my "self " is not wrapped up in what cruise line I sail like many are. To suggest Celebrity is the Cat’s meow and Carnival is dog poop is inane.

I saw a bunch of dirty glasses, silverware and plates sit in the same spot on the Millennium near the basketball court for over 14 days……

Has anyone noticed that the new Celebrity Solstice looks A LOT like a Princess ship? There is a striking similarity of the Solstice and the Island/Coral Princess. Solstice even has areas with blue glass…….

Anyway, comparing Carnival to Celebrity is like comparing a sedan to a pickup truck. You can do such but what is the point? Both do what they do, but other then that both sedans and pick-ups both have 4 wheels... What they do and how they do it is different.

[travelntreats]

Has anyone noticed that the new Celebrity Solstice looks A LOT like a Princess ship? There is a striking similarity of the Solstice and the Island/Coral Princess. Solstice even has areas with blue glass…….

 

Anyway, comparing Carnival to Celebrity is like comparing a sedan to a pickup truck. You can do such but what is the point? Both do what they do, but other then that both sedans and pick-ups both have 4 wheels... What they do and how they do it is different.

 

I did not feel that the Solstice resembled in any way a Princess ship inside nor exterior at all.....it is a gorgeous ship....and actually reminded me more of an upscale Las Vegas Resort i.e. Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, etc....It is just drop dead gorgeous by all aspects from the alternative dining decor to stateroom appointments.... PURE CLASS ACT !

[w99flash]

We have sailed most of the mainstream cruise lines( CCL, NCL, RCL,Princess, and Holland America) First off; I have to say, There is NO such thing as a bad cruise. They all have their strong and weak points but a good time was had on ALL. That being said, the Celebrity Century is my all time favorite ship. It is somewhat smaller and very relaxed. The service was impeccable and the crew friendly. We had a great time, in fact ,did not leave the ship @ Grand Cayman because we enjoyed the ship so much. I would say go for it and make your own decision, you may not go back but I'll bet you will have a WONDERFUL cruise!! Whatever you decide Have FUN!!!

[martek]

The Century was my first Sailing and remains the best. I have sailed Carnival the last 3 times due to the cost. I have to watch my money and I like Carnival, however, given the choice at same cost, I would definitely do Celebrity. The buffet food was pretty much the same. The dining room is just spectacular. The beauty of the room, the quality of the food was far superior to the 3 Carnival dining rooms I have enjoyed. I liked the atmosphere on the Century as it felt more like I would have imagined the cruise ships of yesterday to be. This ship has a nice little movie theater, they played Bingo more often, the entertainment in the theater was first class. The pool area was really nice, and the shopping area was beautiful. Well, hope that helped some. I have to say the television stations on Carnival are better, the rooms are larger and quite nice, and the casino bigger and more fun. It is worth checking out!!

[mnice8]

I also have gone on Celebrity and carnival. It really depends on what you're looking for. Celebrity's food was much better -the best- service was unbelievable, but the atmosphere was more stuffy, not as laid back, and a lot older...we are 30 now and were in our 20's when we went on Celebrity, I dont remember the ship we sailed on , the galaxy maybe?? is that celebrity? Anyway....go....try it, you won't be disappointed with the food/service

[halos]

Service on Celebrity is VERY formal and excellent.

If you like Carnival's imperfections you might find Celebrity 'stiff. Military-like is how I found it. This isn't bad...it's just different. More formal for sure.

Things on a Celebrity cruise seem to be much more subdued...classy...elegant.

 

if you want a relaxed cruise, this is the way to go. If you want the fun you'll have on CCL, you ain't gonna find it.

 

I say do it. Just go prepared to experience a different type of cruise. Too many of the same thing get boring anyway.